Pipedown

Mental Weaponry (A-F)
By Duke Crevanator

I hereby announce the winners of Duke Crevanator’s prestigious award for “Album that Contains the Largest Amount of Pseudo-Intellectual, Hypocritical Bullshit” for 2004. I know it’s only March as I write this, but believe me, there is no other band that can beat out Pipedown over the next nine months. Even if they try REALLY, REALLY hard. I’m drained just from reading their liner notes. It’s flabbergasting. I may as well throw a couple examples in here, since I’ve levied the charge. For one, they’re anti-technological progress, as it dehumanizes everyone. That’s OK, I feel the same way to a limited extent, except that their website seems to incorporate every annoying new feature that can be employed by overzealous Web designers. Right down to the annoying soundtrack that plays constantly. Add to that their entire CD package uses lots and lots of paper to include all of their rambling, nonsensical lyrics and various quotes from philosophers/writers (btw, I’m not happy they’ve usurped Virgil, who they quote totally out of context in the insert). In any event, save some trees, guys, and direct them to your website!

My favorite example is their “comrades” page (i.e. links page) that has a link to the Unabomber’s manifesto. How do they explain the Unabomber’s section entitled “THE ‘BAD’ PARTS OF TECHNOLOGY CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE ‘GOOD’ PARTS?” These guys are using all kinds of technology the Unabomber despised. If they were true believers, they’d be in MT in a shack too, not living in the tony Sacramento suburb of Auburn.

Musically, it’s different from the usual fare from A-F Records. They’re definitely rooted in the punk-core style, but I’ll give them credit for a pretty powerful sound, and as for solid musicianship. However, if you’re a punk-core fan of Anti-Flag, The Unseen, et. al, you may find this way overproduced for your tastes.
(PO Box 71266 Pittsburg, PA 15213)